What Is Good Guitar Practicing?

Playing the guitar is an enjoyable and rewarding activity for people of all ages. Whether you are picking up the guitar for the first time or dusting off an old one after many years of neglect, there are some foundational skills that you need to develop to play songs for fun.

In this article, we will discuss what good guitar practicing is and how adults over 40 can achieve great results with just 5 minutes of foundational skill development a day.

First, let's talk about what good guitar practicing is. Good guitar practicing is not about mindless exercises or a lot of theory. It is about developing foundational skills that will help you play songs for fun. These skills include finger dexterity, chord progressions, strumming patterns, and rhythm. These skills will not only help you play songs but also build your confidence and belief in yourself as a guitar player.

Now, you might be thinking, "I don't have time to practice every day." That's understandable, but the truth is that even 5 minutes a day of foundational skill development can go a long way in a year. It's better to practice a little every day than to practice a lot once a week. Consistency is key when it comes to learning an instrument.

The first foundational skill to develop is smooth chord changes. This is the ability to move your fingers from one chord shape to another shape cleanly, swiftly and in one motion. Meaning all of your fingers land into position at the same time.

Start with a simple open chord Em shape and have your two fingers touching each other and close to the fret (closest to the guitar body) as possible without touching the fret. Then to move to the Am shape, those same two fingers move down one string each toward the floor at exactly the same time as your first fingers land into position.

Do this back and forth between the two chords slowly so that your brain has time to focus and get the messages to your hands and fingers.

The second foundational skill to develop is strumming patterns. Strumming patterns are the rhythm that you use to play a song. A great exercise for this is to practice a basic strumming pattern. Start by strumming down on the strings with your thumb or a pick on the downbeats, or the pulse only. Doing this and playing between the 2 chords. This is the basis for having a rock-solid rhythm awareness and internal rhythm. 



Then, once you have that solid, you will notice that to get each down strum on the beat, you are moving your hand back up in up strum motion. This is exactly what you want to aim for. This down-up strumming motion is the motor to basic rhythms that make up the majority of songs you want to play. Play along with your two chords now with a steady down-up motion with your pick or thumb striking across the strings in both directions. Repeat this pattern, making sure to keep a steady rhythm.

Once you are comfortable with this pattern, try different patterns, such as down-down-up- down-up-down-up. The idea here is to add small challenges at a time - not drastic changes.

The third foundational skill to develop is chord progressions. Chord progressions are the backbone of songs. Start with chord progressions that have 3 or 4 chords in them.

For example, G, C, D or G, Em C, D. A great exercise for this is to practice switching between chords by starting with two chords, such as G and C. Practice switching between them slowly at first, making sure each chord is clear and in tune. Then, gradually increase your speed.

Once you can switch between two chords easily, add a third and repeat the process.

The fourth foundational skill to develop is rhythm. Rhythm is the timing and feel of the music. A great exercise for this is to practice playing along with a metronome.

Start with a slow tempo and gradually increase the speed. Focus on staying in time with the metronome and keeping a steady rhythm. I would add this only after you know your chord progressions well. What I mean is that you don't need to look at some paper or screen to remind you what the chords are. NOTE: Playing with a metronome does take some getting use to. But like any skill you develop, the more you do it the easier it gets.

In addition to these foundational skills, having a good mindset is also important when learning to play the guitar. Learning an instrument can be frustrating at times, but it's important to stay positive and focused on your goals. Reading self-help material can be a great way to stay motivated and develop a growth mindset. Remember that progress takes time, but every small improvement is a step forward.

In addition to these foundational skills, having a good mindset is also important when learning to play the guitar. Learning an instrument can be frustrating at times, but it's important to stay positive and focused on your goals. Reading self-help material can be a great way to stay motivated and develop a growth mindset. Remember that progress takes time, but every small improvement is a step forward.

Another great tool for guitar practicing is playing and practicing in front of a mirror. This allows you to see your posture and hand positioning, which can help you correct any bad habits that you may have developed. It can also be a great way to visualise your playing and make adjustments to your technique.



Visualisation techniques can also be helpful when learning to play the guitar. Take some time to visualise yourself playing the guitar successfully. Imagining yourself playing your favourite song or performing in front of a crowd, can be a good motivator, however I would suggest starting smaller. See yourself changing those two chords with all your fingers landing together. Then see yourself strumming and changing chords so that it flows effortlessly. Visualisation can help improve your muscle memory and overall performance.

Finally, writing things down can be a great way to help your brain retain information. Write down chord progressions, strumming patterns. Force your brain to remember what they are by writing them down before you do your daily practice.

Another great idea to write out chord diagrams. Of course, start by copying the chord diagrams on paper and then move into writing them out from memory. Get yourself a pad of lined paper to help you with this and use the lines on the page as the frets of your guitar. Then add the strings vertically so you get a chord diagram. Then add your finger positions. (See the image below for the 3-step process)

Seeing them written down can help reinforce the information in your mind. It can also help you track your progress over time.

In conclusion, good guitar practice is about developing foundational skills that will help you play songs for fun. Even 5 minutes a day of foundational skill development can go a long way in a year. Finger dexterity, chord progressions, strumming patterns, and rhythm are all important skills to develop.

Having a good mindset, playing and practicing in front of a mirror, using visualisation techniques, and writing things down can also be helpful in your guitar practice journey. Remember to stay positive and consistent in your practice, and you will see great results.

Of course now you will want to put these foundational skill into a song. Doing the above only takes 5-10minutes (depending on how many times you repeat each skill). But if you have extra time to practice, say an extra 5-10mins, move onto learning a song you like and take one section of it, and practice that using the above ideas.

If you don't have extra time, don't beat yourself up. Just do what you can each day. And even if it's just developing those skills, small things done consistently over a long period of time, make a world of difference to what you want to achieve.

Happy practicing!